


Traitorous

by areyoukiddingme



Category: Band of Brothers, Original Work
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, Escapism, F/M, Fear, Love, Trust, prisoner/guard - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-19 02:57:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7341766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areyoukiddingme/pseuds/areyoukiddingme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Original work, inspired by the series 'Band of Brothers' but with no ref. to plot or characters.</p><p>The commander's wife has been caught betraying the army she was supposed to lord over with her husband. In prison she comes across a young soldier who pities her, despite her transgressions and forms a bond with her. One that is dangerous for both of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Traitorous

 I crouched behind a stack of barrels, hearing the sounds of heavy boots echoing overhead. My heart was hammering in my chest and I was reminded of the innocent games of ‘hide and seek’ from my childhood. Only the stakes were a lot higher now; this was a matter of life and death.

 The sounds of boots came down the narrow set of stairs and I raised my eyes heavenwards, praying to everything I never believed in that they wouldn’t find me. The Gods were not in my favour that day, however. A board shifted behind me and suddenly there were shouts and my panic caused my eyes to blur, everything fuzzy as I was hauled upright by my armpits and marched out of the hold of the ship. I passed the terrified faces of the innocent shipmates and felt a sharp stab of regret. I wanted to shout that they weren’t involved and didn’t know I had stowed away in their ship but there was no point. In my panic I couldn’t formulate proper sentences and it was unlikely the soldiers would listen to me anyway.

 I was thrown into an army van where men crowded me, taking up the benches on either side so I was forced to remain on the floor of the truck and I jolted backwards when it started moving. I struggled to stay upright as we went over rough terrain but no-one stooped to help me or offer me a seat. They were all disgusted at me. I made careful effort not to come in contact with them as I was thrown about the floor of the van like a rag doll. Any tiny bit of provocation and I might not have made it out of there alive.

 The journey didn’t take very long so I presumed that they were taking us to the closest base, which spelled out trouble for me. _They_ knew me there.

 The van slowed to a halt and the soldiers filed out before me. Once they were gone, two more returned to haul me upright and lead me into the base that was so familiar and yet so repulsive to me now. I shuddered to think of the people inside and what they would do to me once they found out what I was. I could be killed instantly. This was why my heart felt like it could leap out of my throat as the soldiers gripped my arms more tightly as we entered the base and another passed behind me. 'At least being shot in the head would be painless’, was the last thought that crossed my mind before I felt a skull-splitting pain in the back of my head and the world faded to black.

 I came to slowly, the urge to suddenly bolt upright dampened by the pain in the back of my head that assured me that I wasn’t, in fact, dead. I squinted until my eyes became adjusted to the light and I could see that I was lying on a narrow, uncomfortable bed pushed against a bare brick wall. I craned my neck up slightly as I became used to the pain and looked to the other walls; all bare, grey brick apart from one. The fourth was a cell door made of thick iron bars that looked as though they could keep a feral gorilla enclosed, let alone me. I could see a soldier standing guard just outside my cell and I resolved to speak with him to gain information. I slowly lifted my heavy body off of the bed and staggered upright to my feet. The pain was slowly subsiding as time went on until it was just a dull throbbing that persisted as I attempted to talk to the man.

 “Where am I, soldier?” I asked confidently, approaching the bars of my cage.

 “I’m not allowed to talk to you. Traitor.” He sneered over his shoulder, so I decided to take a different tact.

 “Where am I?” I asked gently, gripping the bars and trying to make myself visible in his peripheral vision. “Please.”

 “I can’t-” The soldier started, trailing off as he turned to face me. The first thing that struck me about his face was his large brown eyes that made him look so unsoldier-like as they reminded me of small puppies’ eyes. This disarmed me momentarily and I allowed my eyes to wonder over his other features; he was a degree taller than me so he had to look down when speaking to me but his lips were soft and he wasn’t as heavily built as some of the other soldiers were. I wondered why I was paying such close attention to a soldier’s face when I was so close to death.

 The soldier’s own eyes widened and jaw slackened when he saw my face and I slightly regretted staring at him for such a long period of time. It only allowed for him to place my face from where he’d seen it before.

 “Wait. You’re the commander’s wife, aren’t you? Penny?” He asked, searching my face with his eyes. “I couldn’t see it when you were unconscious. But now here you are, clear as day.”

 He seemed shocked as he babbled about who I was. I suppose a woman traitor was too far-fetched to him, let alone a woman who is the wife of a powerful man.

 “So that’s why you used such authority when speaking to me. I remember seeing you at talks and such. I never would have thought…” He trailed off, suddenly coming to his senses as his jaw tightened and the hardness returned to his eyes. “That also explains why they haven’t killed you yet. Your husband probably still has a soft spot for you despite all you’ve done.”

 He turned away from me and resumed his guard post. My eyebrows knitted together and I fumbled with the bars before sidling closer to him.

 “Are they going to kill me?” I asked softly. He turned back to me.

 “I don’t know.” He said earnestly. My head had started to hurt violently again and I wasn’t getting anything from the soldier so I returned to my cot and lay down, waiting for… something. Death, perhaps.

 I watched as the guard duty shifted from the young solider to a more intimidating one. I didn’t dare ask him whether I was going to be killed or not. Then the duty shifted again. And again. I felt it must have been a day but the lights hadn’t been dimmed or turned off throughout the entire time so I presumed that day and night didn’t happen here. I was forced to spend my days in eternal daylight, not knowing how long I spent in the prison. I was too nervous for sleep but had no other occupation the fill my time so I spent most of it on my cot anyway, idly watching whenever the guard duty shifted, which was every few hours. The only time I got up was when the guards changed and I saw someone I recognised, the one from before with the innocent brown eyes. I wondered if he perhaps knew something now.

 “Have they decided whether they’re going to kill me yet?” I asked, standing up for the first time in hours and meandering closer to the bars. He seemed to hesitate before answering.

 “No.” He said shortly, not even turning to look at me. There was something changed in his demeanour this time, something that hinted at uneasiness and insecurity.

 “Who are in the cells beside me?” I attempted more conversation despite this change. I was so lonely that even his monosyllabic answers provided some comfort to me.

 “No-one. You’re in what’s called 'solitary confinement’. The cells where the traitors usually go are all bars, not brick. You haven’t been given that indignity.”

 I couldn’t quite tell whether the solider was on my side or not. He reminded himself frequently that I was a traitor and yet he spoke with such passion about 'indignity’.

 “How-”

 “Look, do you speak to the other soldiers as you do with me?” He interrupted me harshly and I was taken aback, removing myself from the bars and returning to my cot.

 “None of the others will speak to me.” I said in as dignified a manner as I could muster.

 “So that’s where I’m going wrong.” He muttered and I almost felt… betrayed by him. It’s not like he was supporting the first time we met, so why was I now so disappointed?

 I lay back on my cot and didn’t talk to him for the remainder of his shift. When the other came to take his place he seemed in such a hurry to leave that feeling of betrayal washed over me again. I shouldn’t have expected anything. Not while I was a traitor.

 More hours passed, more guards came and went. I no longer had any grip on reality and I floated between my cot and the sky that I could no longer see. I didn’t know how long I had floated when I came back to reality, dizzy but alive. They seemed determined to keep me that way as they fed me, but I was given no other privileges. I noticed the guard outside was yet again the one I recognized and lifted myself upright with great effort on my behalf.

 “How long has it been since I saw you last?” I asked him, choosing to forget the harsh words he had used when I spoke to him before.

 “… Three days.” He was changed, again. This time he was soft but still didn’t turn to speak to me.

 “Have they decided?”

 “No.”

 I sighed, returning to my cot as I felt it was best I didn’t push my luck. But then he spoke.

 “Look, I can do something for you.” He said reluctantly, turning to look at me. I saw those soft brown eyes and was disarmed again. “It’s not much, but it’ll get you out of here, if only for a moment.”

 I looked up at him expectantly but when he didn’t elaborate, I nodded anyway. Anything to get me away, even for a few minutes. I didn’t stop to question his kindness.

 He nodded back at me and signalled for another guard to take his place. I mused on what he was offering me; a short walk on the grounds of madness, perhaps. Or maybe whoring me out to his friends. When he returned and unlocked the door of my cage, however, my hesitations vanished and I couldn’t help but trust him.

 He came into my prison to handcuff my hands behind my back, but he wasn’t rough. He even leaned over to me as he was securing them around my wrists, his lips close to my ear as he muttered.

 “It’s only so people don’t question us.”

 Then he leaned back and placed a hand on my shoulder to lead me through the ill-lit corridors until they opened out into a larger hall. It was a lot brighter in there and it took my eyes a few moments to adjust before focusing on the obvious restroom appearance of the place and I felt slightly uneasy. He continued to lead me until we came to a communal bathing area with tiled walls and bare pipes, no privacy as the open shower heads shone with moisture still clinging to the hot taps. There wasn’t a soul around. Indeed, we had not come across another person on the entire walk here. He must have planned it perfectly so we didn’t come across anyone.

“Wait here.” The soldier commanded and I did as he said, mainly due to the fact that there was no other option for me. He returned with a towel in his arms and I eyed it warily, refusing to take it even as he held it out to me.

 “I thought you might like to shower.”

 

I. That meant this was on his own behalf and not an order. Odd.

 “Why are you doing this?” I asked him, my mouth set in a hard line as I waited for his answer.

 “I don’t know.” He answered earnestly. He answered so honestly, in fact, that I simply took the towel out of confusion rather than compliance.

 “I’m afraid I… have to stay.” He muttered, averting his gaze. “But I shan’t look.”

 I was prepared to allow him to stare all he wanted after the gift he’d given me; it was only a fortunate happenstance that he didn’t want what I would so happily have given. I merely nodded in response and watched him sit on one of the bare wooden benches, facing away from the communal showers. I allowed myself little time for hesitation as I knew he had planned it well. I set my towel down on the bench beside him and began to strip, the relief off removing those ancient layers of clothing such a godsend to me that I worked even harder to remove them, not caring about the goose bumps rising on my now bare skin.

 Once I was naked I turned to a shower and turned it on, not even waiting for the water to turn warm before plunging my head beneath the running water. The feeling was so delicious, finally clean after so many days not that I probably spent far longer under the running water than he perhaps anticipated, but I just couldn’t stop myself. I trusted that he didn’t look but faced the wall as I showered, so I had no way of knowing. I didn’t know whether he expected anything for his kindness but for now I was simply grateful for it.

 Eventually and reluctantly, I turned the water off and padded to the towel still waiting on the bench. I picked it up and dried myself as best I could but was stopped when I reached for my clothes.

 “Do you mind awfully if you keep the towel on as we walk back?” The soldier asked, turning his head slowly so I had time to exclaim if I wasn’t covered. He must have seen the fear in my eyes for he quickly held out his arms in surrender and shook his head.

 “To get you out I had to pull a few strings. A few strings that are a bit…”

 He trailed off and I began to understand what he meant. He crossed over to me and made sure his eyes were level with mine as he stood before me.

 “You told them you wanted to fuck me.” I said in astonishment. I didn’t know what was worse; the fact that they allowed it or the fact that he’d even claimed he was going to do such a thing.

 He winced at my crass words but reluctantly nodded.

 “It was the only way I could get you out. So if you don’t mind looking a little… broken as we walk back?” He asked, standing up and turning the shower on before sticking his head underneath it. Only his hair was wet and when he removed it from the stream it dripped down his face and the back of his neck. I was suddenly and ardently attracted to him but it caught me so off guard that I had no time to even think of such things before he started to move me out. He picked up the handcuffs but instead of returning them to my wrists he put them on top of the pile of my clothes he now bundled in his arms. He started to lead me back to my cell and I tried looked as demure and scared as possible. Despite mentally accepting the fact that I could have been raped, I was very glad it was only an act and he hadn’t actually done it.

 We didn’t speak, apart from the once when we were travelling down an empty corridor and he leaned over to me.

 “It’s very lucky no-one happened by us. I would have had to pull you onto my lap.” He said, idly smiling to himself as we continued to walk. I didn’t know what it was, but there was something very likeable about him. Possibly the fact that he was showing me kindness, but there was also something deeper that resonated with me and made me want to find out more about him, not about him as a soldier.

 When we arrived at my cell he came inside with me, setting my clothes down on my cramped cot.

 “I’ll leave these with you, even though I’ll try to find something else for you to wear.” He explained. Perhaps it was the solitary confinement driving me insane or simply the kindness he’d shown me but I had an inexplicable urge to kiss him. Fearing nothing, I approached him and placed my hands on the side of his face, having to get on my tip toes in order to do so. He exhaled shakily, the fact that I was able to affect such an upright man an aphrodisiac in itself. He was exposing an air of vulnerability that I never knew he possessed.

He very slowly lifted a hand to cover my own, staring at me with those warm brown eyes before I could take it no longer and kissed him harshly on the mouth. He seemed startled at first but very soon his hands drifted lower, gripping at my waist, pulling my body closer to his. The feeling of another human being was a blessed relief after being so alone, but the feeling was short lived. We had barely started kissing when we heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. The soldier released me, fear clouding his vision for a moment before he plastered a smirk of arrogance on his face and turned to face his associate.

 “You dog.” I heard the other soldier say as my solider locked the door to my cage. “You know that’s the commander’s wife, don’t you? A married woman?”

 “That’s precisely the reason I chose her.”

 The two turned from me and started walking away from me and I felt bitter regret that I had not thanked the solider before I kissed him. I only had to hope I would see him again before they murdered me.

 “She’s gorgeous though. Can I have her next?”

 “No way. She’s mine.”

 “She won’t be for very long.”

 “I know.”

 I didn’t see my guard for hours after he left. My mind was spinning and I couldn’t take my mind off of him. I couldn’t figure out whether he’d allowed me to kiss him for his own benefit or whether it was a sort of sympathy thing as I was nearing my last few days on earth.

 He came along briefly to slip some prison-regulated clothes through the bars of my cell while he chatted with the current guard but didn’t stay long enough for me to derive any meaning from his actions. I changed while he continued to distract the guard. I was rather disappointed with the unflattering outfit but was glad that’s didn’t have to put my own clothes back on. That would have been much worse.

 A few guard rotations later and my solider was back, trying to appear casual as he posted himself outside my cell. I too tried to act nonchalant, meandering to the bars before resting my hands over them, looking over to my soldier.

“I never got to thank you for your kindness.” I spoke softly, noticing him glance at me out of the corner of his eye.

 "It was not kindness. It was humanity.” He said firmly, shifting slightly.

 “Nevertheless, thank you.” My mouth twitched, debating whether asking his motives would be insulting.

 “Why did you do it?” I decided I had nothing to lose.

 “I’ve told you before, I don’t know.”

 I drew back slightly from the bars; it was obvious he didn’t love me, that much was clear. But to not have a reason, not even an excuse was rather an insult.

 There was a short pause before he leaned over to me conspiratorially.

 “Listen, there’s been talk of your husband.” He warned me. “They say he’s going to visit you. I want to be here when he arrives but I’m afraid I might not.”

 “That’s fine, I can handle him.” My jaw set and I wondered in a circle around the cell in thought. Did that mean I was going to be killed? I certainly wasn’t prepared for more time in the cell. Or was it- ugh, an attempt to win me back? Whatever he attempted, I was determined to stand my ground. No matter what he said or did I wouldn’t go crawling back to him. Not for anything.

 My soldier was right. A few guards later and there was a big hubbub coming from the other end of the corridor which I presumed was the cause of my husband. This was the moment when I regretted not wearing my original clothes as I didn’t feel very confident in the unshapely prison garments but came to the bars anyway, lacing my hands through the metal as I waited for my husband to approach me.

 He just had to make a dramatic entrance. He was flanked with guards; my soldier was not posted outside my cell but he had somehow managed to make his way into my husband’s entourage and he looked at me with worried eyes. I pursed my lips, fixing my gaze on my husband instead who was swaggering like a peacock. The moment I saw his face I remembered why I betrayed him. Betrayed them all.

 “Wife dear.” He smirked, approaching the bars.

 “Darling husband.” I answered, refusing to back away as he approached me.

 “You’ve been a naughty girl.” He scolded me while raising a singular eyebrow. He made me feel sick. Years later, I still couldn’t believe I’d been forced to marry him.

 “All for you, dear.” I smiled sweetly back at him. I barely winced when he suddenly slapped his fist against the bars of my cage, making them rattle.

 “You killed people.” He growled.

 “You’re killing more every day.”

 “But they’re the enemy, darling. Not your own men.”

 “They’re _your_ men.” I accused him, my glance briefly returning to my soldier.

 “And… yours too it appears.” He followed my gaze, smirking slightly. “Did you enjoy yourself the other day?”

 “You allowed that?” I asked breathlessly, trying to avoid my soldier’s gaze.

 “Yes. Do you enjoy being whored out to _my_ soldiers?”

 “You’re a bastard.” I hissed through my teeth. He merely stepped back from the bars, his eyes black.

 “And you’re as good as dead.” He gestured for his entourage to follow him and he turned to leave.

 “Wait! When are you going to kill me?” I shouted after him but he ignored me. “Come back! Come back bastard! I can’t live like this!”

For all of my strength, I started crying and fell to the floor of my cell, my hands slipping down the cool bars of my cage. I sobbed for all I was worth, letting out the grief and anguish of so many days, when I felt another hand on top of my own. Through my bleary eyes I could see my soldier left behind at the risk of being caught caring for me. I had never wanted to embrace anyone so badly when it couldn’t be done.

My soldier allowed me to cry for as long as I wished. I eventually exhausted myself, swiping at my wet cheeks and gripping the soldier’s hands tightly.

 “Do you have your gun?” I sputtered to him, avoiding his eyes.

 “What?”

 “Do you have your gun?” I repeated desperately, pulling at his hands.

 “What? No. No you can’t.” He exclaimed, trying to remove his hands but I clutched them tightly.

 “Please. I’d rather die by my own hand than kneeling to those bastards.”

 “I’ll get you out of here.” He said quickly and I let out a burst of laughter. “I’m serious. I’ll find a way out for you.”

 “How can I trust you?”

 “You can’t.” He answered shortly. “But you also won’t be getting my gun.”

 I nodded reluctantly, slowly leaning down to kiss his hands. He removed them from the cell and stood up, leaving me on the floor of my grey cell, smeared with tears, but now there was something more. There was a glimmer of hope.

 There were only two guard rotations before my soldier came to me again, fear in his eyes as he placed himself outside my cell.

 “What? What is it?” I asked, calling out the panic in his eyes.

 He turned to me reluctantly, looking close to tears as he saw my face. My stomach tightened and I felt nauseated; what were they planning? He tried to speak several times before growling in exasperation.

 “Fuck it.” He muttered, reaching into his belt and pulling out his set of keys. I watched in horror as he glanced up and down the corridor before opening the door to my cell and stepping inside.

 “If anyone asks, you were hysterical.” He told me, closing the door behind him. For some reason, I felt very exposed now facing my soldier with no barrier in the way. I crossed my arms over my chest, shifting slightly under his stare. He cleared his throat, looking to the floor before looking to me again.

 “Hello. What’s your name?” He asked, a faded smile passing his features. I mirrored it, holding out my hand for him to shake, an old custom from a world I was no longer part of.

 “Penny. And you, soldier?”

 “Blithe. Albert Blithe.” He took my hand, shaking it firmly before pulling me into a hug which caught me off-guard. He held me tightly, my face buried into his chest and my hands slowly wondered to wrap around his body, savouring the feeling of someone so close. He let me go very reluctantly but kept his arms on my shoulders even after he released me from the hug.

 “I shouldn’t like you.” He choked out, the grip on my shoulders suddenly tightening, making me cry out and pull myself from his grasp.

 “They’ve tried to brainwash me, tell me that you’re evil. I think they’re worried about my infatuation.” He chuckled but I couldn’t sense the anger building inside him and I regretted him coming inside my cell. I felt even less safe now.

 “You’ve killed innocent people.” He cried out suddenly turning on me. But then his shoulders drooped and he spun to face the wall, slamming his fist against it and keeping it there. “And yet… they’re killing innocent people too.”

 He whimpered and I wondered how I could ever feel threatened around him. My anxiety melted away and I approached him, gingerly placing my hand on his shoulder.

 “I knew you weren’t one for war the moment I saw you.” I murmured. He turned his head to look at me, his hand trailing down the wall until it fell to his side.

 “You’re so small.” He muttered, coming close to me, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he moved stray hairs from my face gently. He wrapped his arms around my small frame, around my shoulders and the back of my head. “How could anyone bear to hurt you?”

 I was very close to tears myself so I pulled away from him slightly, clearing my throat.

 “Come on.” I urged him to sit beside me on my cramped cot and he did so. I rested my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arm around his was it as he laced his fingers through my free hand. We were both deprived of comfort, it seemed.

 “I’m just so scared.” He blurted out eventually, refusing to meet my gaze as I shifted. “I have an escape planned. But what are you going to do when you get out? Where will you go?”

 “Wait, me?”

 “Yes.” He finally turned his head to mine, looking confused.

 “I’m not leaving without you.” I said firmly.

 “That’s madness.” He contradicted. “The odds on one person escaping is bad enough, let alone two.”

 “I’m not leaving without you.” I repeated. We both didn’t shift our positions despite the tension now building in the air.

 “This is because you’re scared, isn’t it? Scared of dying?”

 “No, I-”

 “Can you be so afraid of dying?” I interrupted him harshly. “Death is not what we should fear. Betraying our own morals, that should be your fear. Killing innocent men, that is what you should fear. And yet you’d rather that than death, would you?”

 “You must think I’m a cruel man.” He said through gritted teeth, pulling away from my embrace.

 “That’s exactly the opposite of what I’m trying to say.” I expressed, standing with him. Wordlessly, he opened the door to my cage and slipped out, locking it behind him. I came to the bars, trying to stare at him endearingly.

 “You know I care for you.” I said but he didn’t answer, merely turned from me and started walking down the corridor, leaving me unguarded which I was sure was against the rules but he was just so determined to get away from me.

 “Albert! Albert!”

 I started sobbing, slipping down the bars of my cell. How could I have fucked up such a perfect opportunity? It was uncertain if he was going to rescue me at all now.

 Someone must have taken his place while I was crying as when I eventually straightened myself out there was someone guarding me, but it wasn’t my solider. I wiped my tears away but refused to leave the bars, choosing to stare down the corridors, waiting for him. My legs very quickly started to tingle but I didn’t budge. They went numb and still I didn’t move. My neck hurt from craning and my fists were locked around the bars of my cage. Even my mind was starting to go numb when I saw someone travelling down the corridor in a vaguely soldier-like outfit. I perked up, my excitement rewarded as the soldier came into view and I saw that it was him, Albert. He came quickly to the bars, ignored by his colleague and kneeled before me, his eyes imploring.

 “I’m sorry.” He said quickly. I only smiled and shook my head. “I reacted stupidly. It’s only because all you said was true. I couldn’t face the truth. My fears.”

 “It seems we are both determined to not make this work.”

 “No. It’s this cage. Once you’re free, we’ll be fine.” He nodded as if he were trying to convince himself. He searched my face, his mouth twitching as he moved to stand up.

 “I’m getting you out of here.”

 “What? Already?” I asked, standing with him.

 “Yes.” He said, retrieving his keys and unlocking the door to my cell. His colleague still didn’t interfere so I assumed he was in on it, especially as he turned to us both and said ‘good luck’.

 Albert turned to go down the corridor but I gripped his arm.

 “Wait.” I said, pulling his back and capturing my lips on his while he was still confused. I kissed him fiercely and he responded equally as fiercely, gripping my waist and the back of my head.

 “Just in case we didn’t make it out.” I said once I released him.

 “Don’t say that.”

 “Just in case.” I said firmly, lacing my fingers with his before he started leading me through the long, winding corridors. He’d stop at every intersection, looking up and down the corridors before pulling me along hurriedly. I took it as a good sign that we came across no-one in the whole time that we were travelling. We stopped eventually at a wall and I looked to him as if he were mad, until I noticed a small vent at the base of the wall.

 “You can’t be serious.”

 “You’ll fit, won’t you?”

 “Will you?” I asked incredulously, kneeling to remove the already loosened grate.

 “It opens out.” He assured me.

 “You will follow me, won’t you?” I asked, letting the fear lace my voice. I didn’t want to be left alone, either outside of this place or in death.

 “Yes. I believe what you said before. I won’t leave you.” He said earnestly, coming to kneel beside me. “Now, keep crawling until you see light. Then I’ll tell you what to do, alright?”

 “Alright.” I turned back, gripping his fist and kissing him briefly before turning to the vent.

 “Let’s go.”

 


End file.
